Bach Chorale ‘Invasion’ pays tribute to British music

The Bach Chorale Singers will perform “British Invasion: From Britten to the Bee Gees” Saturday at Jefferson High School.
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Many say the British Invasion began with the Beatles’ 1964 appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” which paved the way for a new era of rock that changed the landscape of popular American music.

But British invasions of the musical kind came long before the 1960s. British composers have played an equally integral part in shaping America’s choral, folk and musical theater traditions. Englishmen Gerald Finzi, Charles Stanford and Gustav Holtz were highly influential choral composers. Gilbert and Sullivan were key players in the birth of the American musical. Andrew Lloyd Weber, of “The Phantom of the Opera” fame, cemented that cross continental legacy.

This weekend, the Bach Chorale Singers in Lafayette pay tribute to the legacy of these British influences in a concert that features those composers as well as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten—and, yes, the Beatles, who musical director Michelle Louer points out were classically trained musicians.

“The Beatles took their sense of harmony, melody and rhythm and raised the level of popular music of their time,” she said.

The Bach Chorale Singers will perform classic English choral pieces as well as songs like “Hey Jude,” “Yesterday” and “A Hard Day’s Night.”

A live rhythm section will accompany the choral group in the final part of the concert, featuring songs by the Beatles. Audiences are encouraged to sing along, Louer said.

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Jefferson High School Jaeger Theater, 1801 South 18th St.

How much: Tickets are $20 for adults; $10 for children and students. Buy at the door, online at bachchorale.org or call 765-429-5151.